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Presumably Sicilian. I came across this in Camilleri L'altro capo del filo, but can't find any translation.

The context is a cop talking about a group of suspects they have just arrested for a vicious rape. He says «Dottore, aio 'na gana spavintosa e tirribili di scuglionari a pedate a tutti e cinco, colpevoli e 'nnuccenti». His boss says he has never heard him say anything so violent before...

Tom Gewecke
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    It seems Sicilian to me. If I had to hazard a guess, he probably means that he wants to "kick their balls off". – Denis Nardin Feb 08 '17 at 19:55
  • Thanks, that makes sense. The translations for Italian "scoglionare" are pretty mild in comparison. – Tom Gewecke Feb 08 '17 at 20:33
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    Please keep in mind that the language you find in Camilleri is mostly Sicilian-inspired Camillerese, a creation of the author, carefully designed to convey a Sicilian flavour but to be mostly intelligible in all of Italy. – DaG Feb 08 '17 at 22:01
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    My guess in Italian (I know some Sicilian): "Dottore, ho una voglia spaventosa e terribile di castrare a calci tutti e cinque, colpevoli e innocenti". For lack of time I leave the English translation to others. – Walter Tross Feb 09 '17 at 09:58

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The verb "scuglionari" is a fictitius Sicilian invention of Camilleri, who adapted it from the Italian "scoglionare". The latter is a verbal compound formed by the privative prefix s- and the word "coglione", which literally means "testicle".

This verb is often used with the translated sense of "to bore", "to tire", but I would say that given the context it could be intended more concretely with an intensive shade for "to thrash", "to beat up", "to kick out", and not literally as to "kick their balls off".

Here is a suggested translation:

"Sir, I have a dreadful and terrible desire to kick their balls off to all five, guilty and innocent."

Charo
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qwertxyz
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  • Considering that the people referred to are accused of a vicious rape, and his boss is disturbed by the violent nature of the comment, some sort of vulgar expression of "castration" seems more appropriate to me. I have added the rape element to the question. – Tom Gewecke Feb 10 '17 at 15:31
  • Now that you say this I could argue that the meaning is strictly connected with the literary sense of the verb – qwertxyz Feb 10 '17 at 15:34
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    I would prefer to translate "Dottore" with "Sir" (courtesy title), because its meaning is not that of "medic". – Riccardo De Contardi Feb 10 '17 at 17:12
  • I agree, I just updated the translation – qwertxyz Feb 10 '17 at 17:19
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    In this context between two cops, I think "dottore" would probably be equivalent to "boss". – Tom Gewecke Feb 11 '17 at 04:35
  • It depends on who is speaking to who – qwertxyz Feb 11 '17 at 07:26
  • Maybe, but it is not necessary. "Dottore" means "graduated", and it underlines the deference to the interlocutor in general, I think – Riccardo De Contardi Feb 11 '17 at 09:49
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    As @TomGewecke probably already know (if he is able to read Camilleri), in Italy whoever has a university degree, even the lowest one, is entitled to be called Dottore (as opposed to English-speaking countries, where “Dr” is the title reserved to people having a PhD or equivalent). Moreover, when in doubt (or when in a flattering mood), one calls Dottore a customer, a civil servant or, as in this case, a higher-ranked colleague (remember that police is a civilian body in Italy). – DaG Feb 11 '17 at 21:22
  • I wouldn't be so sure that scuglionari is made up. My wife, who is from Palermo, says that it sounds like an expression from the part of Sicily Camilleri is from (as well as several of her friends) – Walter Tross Feb 12 '17 at 21:46